gothic

Earlier this week we checked out Pudel, a brand owned and designed by Lina Osterman, and, as it turns out, we also saw her namesake line which she started in order to design more editorial-friendly, fashion forward pieces. The Lina Osterman line, much like Pudel, is full of gothic-inspired, complicated cottons that have a downtown persona. The Lina Osterman versions, however, have more attitude to them and veer into Rick Owens-like terrain. For Spring 2009 she designed shredded stovepipe jeans, knit cardigans that hang down below the waist, and a heavy chain chest piece that calls up Givenchy Fall 08 in its sheer mass. Today's designers seem to thrive best when they have both accessible and high fashion options for their consumer--no matter in which order these options are borne. 

Bora Aksu took all of the serious things we've come to expect from a Fall collection and poised them in the Spring Summer. The fussy sleeves, the high necks, the capes, and even the moody music, however, were not without a bit of lightness to make them appropriate for warm weather. Everyone in London might be showing bright colors and excitable outfits but there are a few who will provide us with something for the days when we just haven’t the energy to be so bright. In fact, these are gothic outliers that constitute what we call, the Rodarte aesthetic, which we saw a lot of in London this week. To see our photos from the Bora Asku Spring 2009 show, click here.